Imported Meningitis Vaccine Coming to NJ

New Jersey 101.5

Officials at Princeton University in New Jersey are considering measures to stop the spread of meningitis on the Ivy League campus.

A spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says federal health officials have agreed to import Bexsero, a vaccine licensed in Europe and Australia but not the U.S.

This week, Princeton officials confirmed the school's seventh case of meningitis in 2013. A spokesman says trustees will discuss the issue this weekend.

Bacterial meningitis can cause swelling of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. The disease is fairly rare in the United States. Those who get it develop symptoms quickly and can die in a couple of days. Survivors can suffer mental disabilities, hearing loss and paralysis.

The bacteria are spread by coughing, sneezing and kissing.

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